Fifth Parallel exhibition showed students’ final projects after Japan trip
University of Regina’s (U of R) Robert Truszkowski led another group of students to Japan this year as a part of his art class. During the two week trip in May, students were able to experience the thriving art hub in Kyoto. This month, an exhibition at The Fifth Parallel Gallery entitled “Let’s go to Kyoto, too!!” opened to show their final projects. The Carillon was able to interview some of the artists during its reception night on Sept. 16.
Yanique Henry
For art student Yanique Henry, organizing her class schedule to be able to take ART290JP was essential. It was her first trip to Japan and, though it was a class trip, it also gave her an opportunity to see an old friend.
“It helped me reconnect with a Japanese friend that I haven’t seen since I was 10 years old,” said Henry. On top of this, there were many exciting things about the trip to Japan; she looks fondly back at the konbini (convenience store) that offered accessible and fresh food, and was immersed in Japanese art mediums and architecture.
Henry attested that seeing the temples and pagodas in real life can change a person. “Even from a distance, you can see the intricacy of it, but as you go closer you can see tiny minute designs,” she said.
The blend of modern buildings and ancient architecture became a source of inspiration for her work: “[My work] looks at how the secular and sacred are in such close proximity.’’ She confessed that she had not incorporated colour in her work until recently, though this was not the case for her shrine illustration. For her final class project, she produced a colourful and almost immersive piece using a blend of gouache and dry media like pencil crayon for the hatching shading. The background scenery was done through photo collage. “It’s multiple pieces of printed paper assembled together,” she said. “It’s like a weird Frankenstein!”
In addition, she created a stamp inspired by a Hanko, a personalized stamp of one’s last name used for signing official documents. Spectators can spot this pressed with red ink onto the bottom right of her illustration. Henry said that the different perspectives she gained in this class trip was essential to her learning and work. “If I’m still wrapped up in my own little Canadian-Caribbean bubble, it pigeon holes my work.”
Jayden Thompson
The opportunity to go somewhere new and discover new art was what motivated Jayden Thompson to register for this class. It was her first trip out of North America and travelling with the group made it easier.
Thompson spoke excitedly about the famous famichiki, this boneless fried chicken found at a konbini that was popular with her peers. “There’s this fried chicken that was so good! There were a lot more things that I wish I ate more of,’’ she admitted.
There were a lot of unforgettable moments during the trip, but an unplanned journey to a temple became a highlight for Thompson. “I ended up going away from the group [and] found this artist in the woods,” she shared. “This old guy who was a wood carver [invited me into his house]. He gave me tea and we just chatted.”
Thompson ended up purchasing one of this man’s wooden fox sculptures and said that its smoothness was the result of the artist’s 40-something years of experience.
Seeing [how happy] the artists are to see each other and [their] work is indicative of how the whole trip went. -Robert Truszkowski
For her final project, Thompson utilized cyanotype on a large bed sheet and on five postcards using watercolour paper she brought home from Kyoto. Cyanotype is an old process of photography that uses two chemicals and objects or negatives to block the desired area. The exposed space will then be cured by the sun or UV light.
Thompson shared that the theme of grief informs her art subconsciously, as she had lost her dog prior to the trip. She described it as “the grief [of] just going through different changes in life.”
Her post cards also carried this message and symbolized the act of being both present and absent in the post card. “It’s a way for me to remember the time I was there while I’m not there anymore,” she said.
Lila Wharton
This visual arts student came to know about the class because of her sister being Truszkowski’s hairdresser. Lila Wharton said that her favourite memory from the trip were the rainy nights that made the lights brighter.
“One of those nights, I was walking around with the group just having fun. It was the highlight of my time,” she recalled.
Her final project was a result of her love for photography and mixed together subjects like flowers, foliage, scenic photos, and a classmate. “I always have a camera with me,” she said. “I notice a lot more when I [have] it with me.”
Additionally, Wharton made a miniature inspired by nature and the clean underground spots that the group saw on their trip. “We saw a lot of nature …and very clean train stations. I wanted to bring those two pieces together,” she explained.
Sage Triffo
Born with a heart condition, Sage Triffo did not get a lot of independence growing up, but this class trip proved to Triffo that she can do a lot of things on her own. “I rode on the subway [alone] for the first time,” she said. “Even [when] I got lost, I felt really proud of myself.’’
Her final project depicts her riding the train. She used lighter colours that almost made it look like a distant memory. “I’m paying homage to my younger self. I felt like an older sister to [myself]. I did it!”
Triffo highly recommends the ART290JP trip to fellow students because one can learn so much about themselves by taking this trip. “You’re living this experience together that none of us have experienced before. You’re experiencing a whole new country and culture!”
Siddharta Roy
At first, Siddharta Roy did not plan on taking the class, but by a stroke of miracle, he ended up tagging along with the group. “The trip to Japan was an accident,” he explained, “…and my Visa was getting denied multiple times!”
Roy confessed that it might be cliché, but this class trip was a life changing moment for him and his project reflects that. “People are figuring out that there’s more to do, more reason to wake up and go see the world.”
His piece reflects his short time in Kyoto and showcases his outfits on the days he explored the city. Roy also shared that, while art is perceived a little too seriously here, pop culture is celebrated more in Japan. “It’s like an artist talking to their own creation. I see that love in what they make, and that’s something you should instill as an artist.’’
Now planning on heading back to Japan, Roy urges students to take the class in the future for a mind changing experience. “The professor is great. They will take care of you. If I can do it, anyone can!”
If you want to go to Japan with a real nerd who is going to work for you to get the trip, think about it. In May 2027, we’re gonna go! -Robert Truszkowski
Robert Truszkowski
As ART290JP’s professor, Truszkowski told the Carillon that the trip was amazing and the students still talk about it to this day. “Seeing [how happy] the artists are to see each other and [their] work is indicative of how the whole trip went,” he said.
Prior to this year’s class, he led another group of students to Japan back in 2023, but getting this opportunity was something that had been in the works since before the COVID lockdowns. “I was gonna try and run it in 2020. We got to about March but the writing was on the wall that it wasn’t gonna happen,” Truszkowski recalled.
When asked how the theme of decolonization presents itself in ART290JP, Truszkowski said that while it is not inherent, it is the underlying intention in the class. His 18 years of teaching experience at the university have led him to see many international students come to Regina for university but, he says, many domestic students have never been far away from here.
The class offers students a personal reflective experience. “What’s it like being in a place where you’re really on the outskirts? How do you reconcile who you are while you’re there with who you are while you’re here?” Truszkowski asked.
It wasn’t just the students that brought back something memorable with them; Truszkowski beamed about his personal connection to Japan. Having lived with his family there on sabbatical, his now 13-year-old daughter was able to come on the most recent trip. “I got to see the trip through her experiences! We love to eat everything, and [she’s the] perfect travel companion.”
Truszkowski said one of the major reasons one should take his class is because it costs less than planning the trip alone. “I love to squeeze the uni for as much money as I can to give to students,” he explained. “I convinced [the UR International office and the dean of MAP] to give us extra money, so students get funding to go on a trip like this. If you want to go to Japan with a real nerd who is going to work for you to get the trip, think about it. In May 2027, we’re gonna go!”
